Adjustable cam



J h- 5, 1943. c. E; GQLLMER 2,301,214 ADJUSTABLE CAM Filed May 13, 1950* v2 sheets-sheet "2 lNvzN-fon 2 CARL E. GOLLMER 46 ATTORNEY an improved cam Patented Jan. 5, 1943 ADJUSTABLE CAM Carl E. Gollmer, Hoopeston,

111., assignor to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif a corporation of Delaware Application May 13, 1940, Serial No. 334,800 9 Claims. (01. 74-568) The present invention relates to improvements in filling machines for filling cans or containers with liquids or semi-liquids such as fruit or vegetable juices, soups, oils or the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for filling machines for adjusting the amount of fill thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide structure for filling machines which is quickly and accurately adjustable for varying the amount of fill of the machine without causing any appreciable loss of time in the operation thereof.

Another object of the invention to provide an adjustable cam structure for filling machines which may be adjusted during the operation of the machine for varying the amount of fill thereof.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a Vertical section of the machine of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the adjustable cam structure and certain parts of associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 taken along lines 33 thereof.

Fig. dis a perspective View of a portion of the adjustable cam structure.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation machine shown in Fig. 1, illustrating primarily the construction of the adjustable cam thereof.

Fig. 6 is a top view of Fig. 5.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 indicates the frame structure of the filling machine within which a stationary gear casing 2 is mounted. Rotatably arranged within a bearing 3, secured to the gear casing 2, and a stationary bearing sleeve 4, fixed to the upper portion of the frame structure I, is a vertical shaft 6 which carries a cylinder housing I provided with a tank or reservoir 8 and keyed to the shaft as shown at 9 for rotation therewith.

The cylinder housing 7 comprises a plurality of pump cylinders H within which pistons l2 are arranged. Interposed between the tank 8 and the cylinder housing 1 and fixed to the stationary bearing sleeve 4 is a stationary cut-off plate 63 snugly overlying the tank bottom formed by the cylinder housing I.

The cut-off plate it is cut away over a portion the filling machine of a portion of the of the path of travel of the pump cylinders H upper ends of the 03 1- as shown at It, so that the inders are uncovered as they pass beneath the apertured portion of the cut-off plate to permit flow of the liquid from the tank into the pump cylinders.

The pistons 4 are provided with piston rods 46 which are secured to slides ll carrying rollers I8 adapted to travel along the cam track It of a cam 2| duringrotation of the shaft 5, cylinder housing 7 and tank 8, thereby causing reciprocation of the pistons l2.

Keyed to the lower end of the shaft 6 is a bevel gear 22 cooperating with a bevel gear 23 fixed upon a drive shaft 24 mounted within bearings 26 carried by the gear casing 2 of the machine. One end of the drive shaft 24 extends from the frame structure I and is provided with a sprocket wheel 28 adapted to'be driven from a source of power by means of a sprocket chain not shown.

Each pump cylinder H is provided with a discharge passage 29 communicating with the interior of'a nozzle 3i secured to the tank and the cylinder housing of the machine. Mounted within each nozzle is a reciprocating slide valve 32 which is operated by a cam roller 33 which travels along a cam track 3 2 supported on the frame structure I of the machine.

Fixed .to the cylinder housing 7 is a circular table support 36 Within which can tables 3? which are in alignment with the nozzles 3i are slidably mounted by means of table guides 38 provided with cam rollers 35 adapted to travel along a cam track .4! supported by the frame structure l in any convenient'manner, so that upon rotation of the cylinder housing I the table guides .33 are re ciprocated to raise and lower the tables 3?.

The cam.2l previously referred to, see Figs. 2 to 6, consists of cooperating cam sections it and 41. The cam section it is of semi-circular configuration. and is provided with stud shafts l8 and an opening 49, which is in communication with the portion i911. of the cam track is of the dam. The cam section 41 consists of a semicircular portion 5!,having a semi-circular cam track I91), and parallel straight cam portions 52 provided with straight cam track portions I 90 forming the continuation of the cam track 1%, see Fig. 4.

The free ends of the vided with guide ways tions of the cam section 54 which are received cam section 28 are pro- 53 and the straight por- 47 comprise slide portions within the guide ways 53 .so that both cam sections are slidably joined to form a continuous substantially circular cam track IS.

The cam section 46 is pivotally mounted withthereupon 2 in bearings 56 of a U-shaped bracket 51, by means of the pivot studs 48 above referred to, which are removably secured to the cam section 46 by set screws 58, so as to permit the assembly of the parts as shown in Fig. 6. The bracket 51 is secured to the bearing 3 of the machine, as will be best seen from Figs. 1 and 3.

The cam section 41, see Fig. 2, comprises a pair of lugs 59 between which a block 6| is movably mounted by means of pivot studs 62 screwed to the lugs 59 and extending into openings of the block 6|. The block 6| comprises a threaded opening within which an adjusting screw 63 is received. The lower end of the adjusting screw 63 is keyed to a bevel gear 64, the hub portion of which is rotatably mounted within the gear casing 2 above referred to. The upper end of the adjusting screw 63 is freely rotatable within a bearing 660i a supporting bracket structure 9": provided with 68. Rotatably mounted within the bearing 68 is a shaft 69 to which a bevel gear H is fixed, see Fig. 3, which intermeshes with the bevel gear 64. The shaft 59 is provided with a hand wheel 12, and a lock screw 13 is employed to lock the shaft 69 against rotation.

When the lock screw 13 is unlocked and the hand wheel 12 is rotated in one or the other direction, a corresponding rotation of the adjusting screw 63 is effected and the block or lowered, causing raising or lowering of the cam 2| around bearing 56 of the bracket 51. During the adjustment of the cam 2| as above described, the cam sections 46 and 41 telescope so that the cam may be freely adjusted to any desired position within the range of adjustment provided by the adjusting screw 63.

Due to the fact that the cam portions ,52 are parallel with respect to each other and the cam track section 46 is slidably arranged between the same, the cam track surfaces 14 of the cam section 45 remain in alignment with the cam track surfaces 16 of the cam section 41 during expansion or contraction of the cam, and an interruption between the cam surfaces 14 and I6 is therefore eliminated. In this way, a continuous cam track l9 with uninterrupted cam surfaces is provided irrespective of the adjustment of the cam sections 46 and 41.

When the cam is in Fig. l and the drive shaft 24 is rotated, gears 23 and 22 effect rotation of the vertical shaft 6, tank 8, cylinder housing 1, the can tables 31 and nozzles 3|. The pistons revolve with the cylinder housing 1 around shaft 6, and rollers I8 travel I9 of the adjustable cam 2|, so that the pistons are thereby reciprocated. As each cylinder passes beneath the apertured portion M of the cut-off plate I3, the associated valve 32 is in lowered position to close the discharge passage 29 and the piston I2 is lowered at this time to draw a charge of the liquid within the tank 8 into the cylinder. At this time the can table 31 is likewise in lowered position, as will be clearly seen from Fig. 1. As the tank and cylinder housing continues to revolve, the cylinder passes under the cut-off plate l3, after which the table 3'! with a can positioned thereon, is raised and the valve 32 is passage 29. The piston |2 is thereupon elevated to discharge the liquid from the pump cylinder through the nozzle 3| and into the can positioned therebeneath. The filled can is discharged from the machine and re- 6| is raised .2

the position as shown in i the cam lifted to uncover the discharge pensed by the placed with an empty one by means of a can feeding and discharge mechanism not shown, and the cycle of operation described above is repeated, it being understood that the same cycle of operation, as described, takes place in connection with each of the pump and nozzle units in succession.

The measured amount of liquid discharged into the containers during the operation of the machine depends upon the stroke of each piston during the cycle of operation of the same. Therefore, to vary the amount of fill of the machine, the stroke of the pistons must be changed, which is accomplished by rotating the hand wheel 12, after unlocking of the lock screw 13, in one or the other direction so as to cause a corresponding rotation of the adjusting screw 63 and upward or downward movement of the block 6|. The above described movement of block 6| effects a pivotal movement of the cam 2| around the bearings 56, end of the cam adjacent the lugs 59 is raised or lowered to thereby position the cam 2| in a certain predetermined relation with respect to the cylinder housing 1 and to adjust the stroke of the pistons l|, so that a desired amount of fill will be obtained as necessary for a certain size of cans to be handled by the machine. This adjustment may be performed, if desired, while the machine is operating, so that the operator may observe the amount of fill obtained by the same, or may be performed while the machine is at rest. In either case, an accurate adjustment of the measured quantity of liquid dismachine will be obtained, whereupon the shaft 69 is locked in adjusted position by tightening the lock screw 13.

In this way, the cam 2| may be properly and very accurately adjusted for any amount of fill desired, depending upon the can size and the head space desired in each can.

It should be further observed that due to the pivotal mounting of the cam section 46 the uppermost position of the piston H is maintained substantially the same irrespective of the position of the cam 2|, so that a proper discharge of the liquid from the cylinders is obtained and the pistons |2 do not contact the cut-off plate mounting of the cam 2| and the travel of the block 6| in a straight path during adjustment of the cam, the sliding connection of the cam sections 46 and 41 is necessary so that the cam structure may be contracted or expanded to permit adjustment of the same. The adjustment of the cam sections with respect to each other is very slight, and the cam track If! remains substantially circular, so that the rollers l8 remain in proper engagement with the same.

The upper frame structure designated 18 is removably secured to the frame structure I, and during the assembly of the machine the rollers |8 are introduced into the cam track l9 through Due to the pivotal the opening 49 in the cam section 46 before the sleeve bearing 4 and cu -off plate l3 are installed. To facilitate the assembly the pistons l2 may be preferably provided with threaded openings I9 into which handles, not shown, may be screwed, so that the pistons piston rods l6 and slides may be raised or lowered to enter the rollers l8 through opening 49 into the cam track l9. These handles are removed before the cut-off plate l3, sleeve 4 and frame portion 18 are installed.

I desire it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular application or precise details of construction illustrated herein, as the same may be used in connection with other types of filling machines, and various applications, modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and I deem myself entitled to all such applications, modifications and variations as come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable cam comprising a pair of generally semi-circular cam sections, means pivotally mounting one of said sections, and means associated with the other section for adjusting and guiding it along a path extending transversely to and non-concentric with the pivotal axis of said pivoted section, said cam sections having their ends telescopically joined to cause the cam to move as a whole and to permit it to contract and expand during said adjustment.

2. An adjustable cam comprising a pair of cam sections, means pivotally mounting one of said sections, and means associated with the other section for adjusting and guiding it along a path extending transversely to and non-concentric with the pivotal axis of said pivoted section, said cam sections having their ends telescopically joined to cause the cam to move as a Whole and to permit it to contract and expand during said adjustment.

3. An adjustable cam comprising a pair of cam sections, means for pivotally mounting one of said sections, and a rotatable screw operatively associated with the other of said sections for guidingly adjusting the cam about said pivotal mounting, said screw extending in a direction transversely to the pivotal axis of the pivoted section, said cam sections being adjustably interfitted to cause movement of the earn as a whole and to permit expansion and contraction of the cam during adjustment thereof by said screw.

4. An adjustable cam comprising a pair of generally semi-circular cam sections, means for pivotally mounting one of said sections, and means including a rotatable screw operatively associated with the other of said sections for guidingly adjusting the cam about said pivotal mounting, said screw extending in a direction transversely to the pivotal axis of the pivoted section, said cam sections being telescopically joined to cause movement of the cam as a whole and to permit expansion and contraction of the cam during adjustment thereof by said screw.

5. An adjustable cam comprising a pair of generally semi-circular cam sections, means for pivotally mounting one of said sections, and means including a screw operatively associated with the other of said sections for guidingly adjusting the cam about said pivotal mounting, and a hand wheel for operating said screw, said screw extending in a direction transversely to the pivotal axis of the pivoted section, said cam sections being telescopically joined to cause movement of the cam as a whole and to permit expansion and contraction of the cam during adjustment thereof by said screw.

6. An adjustable cam structure comprising a pair of complementary generally semi-circular cam sections, a pivotal mounting for each of said cam sections to support them for pivotal movement about parallel axes, and means for adjusting one of said pivotal mountings in a direction transversely to and non-concentric with the axis of the other pivotal mounting, said cam sections having their ends slidably joined together to cause the cam to move as a whole and to permit it to contract and expand during adjustment.

'7. An adjustable cam comprising rigidly coupled cam sections, opposed means pivotally supporting said sections, and means moving one of said opposed means in a rectilinear path for adjusting the cam, said cam sections being telescopically joined to permit expansion and contraction of said cam during adjustment thereof to compensate for variations in distance between said opposed means.

8. An adjustable substantially circular cam comprising rigidly coupled cam sections, diametrically opposed means for pivotally supporting said sections, and means moving one of said diametrically opposed means in a rectilinear path for adjusting the position of said cam, said cam sections being telescopically joined to permit expansion and contraction of said cam during adjustment thereof to compensate for variations in distance between i said diametrically opposed means.

9. An adjustaable cam comprising a pair of generally semi-circular cam sections, means pivotally mounting one of said sections, and means guidingly associated with the other section to direct it over a path extending transversely to and non-concentric with the pivotal axis of said pivoted section, said cam sections having their ends telescopically joined to cause the cam to move as a whole and to permit it to contract and expand upon adjustment of the cam with reference to said pivotal axis.

CARL E GOLLMER. 

